The "School Safety and Security Act"; establishes penalties for certain criminal acts committed on school property.

A4613

ASSEMBLY, No. 4613

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� DAWN FANTASIA

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

SYNOPSIS

���� The �School Safety and Security Act�; establishes
penalties for certain criminal acts committed on school property.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning school safety and supplementing Title
2C of the New Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� This act shall be known
and may be cited as the �School Safety and Security Act.�

���� 2.��� For the purposes of this
section:

���� "School district"
means any local or regional school district established pursuant to chapter 8
or chapter 13 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes;

���� �School safety and security
plan� means the comprehensive plans, procedures, and mechanisms developed by
each school district that provide for safety and security in the school
district's public elementary and secondary schools and which provide for, at a
minimum, the protection of the health, safety, security and welfare of the
school population; and the prevention of, intervention in, response to and
recovery from emergency and crisis situations.

���� 3.��� It shall be a crime of
the fourth degree if an actor:

���� a.���� Purposely or knowingly:

���� (1)�� Enters or remains on
school property after having been advised by written or verbal communication, a
posting, or other reasonable efforts by the school district or non-public
school or any other authorized person to notify the actor that he is not licensed
or privileged to do so; or

���� (2)�� Having entered school
property, provides false information, name, or identification to any authorized
person requesting such information; or

���� (3)�� Assists another to enter
school property by ignoring, circumventing, or bypassing any direction, policy,
or device specifically designed to identify, authorize, or otherwise screen
visitors entering the school property after having been advised by written or
verbal communication, posting, or other reasonable efforts to advise the actor
of such direction, policy, or device; or

���� (4)�� Assists another to enter
school property by defeating any security measure or device specifically
designed to prevent unauthorized access; or�

���� b.��� Purposely or knowingly
activates, uses, or tampers with any device utilized, designed, or intended to
announce or communicate a crime or emergency, or to initiate a school safety
and security plan, non-fire evacuation, lockdown, lock-in, or other security-related
response knowing that there is no such crime or emergency and that it is likely
to initiate a school safety and security plan, a lockdown, lock-in, or other
security-related plan or emergency response; or

���� c.���� Purposely or knowingly
damages or tampers with any device, instrument, sign, or system used to monitor
or manage the security of a school; or

���� d.��� Purposely or knowingly
interferes with, obstructs, or impedes implementation of an activated school
safety and security plan or any security protocol, function, or drill, intended
to provide an emergency response from the school district or non-public school,
employee, administrator, or any other authorized person, or to notify and
elicit a response from security personnel or law enforcement; or

���� e.���� With purpose to cause
inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof:

���� (1)�� Engages in criminal,
alarming or threatening behavior; and

���� (2)�� Causes any school
district or non-public school, employee, administrator, law enforcement
officer, or any other authorized person to initiate, activate, communicate, or
otherwise begin protocol pursuant to a school safety and security plan,
non-fire evacuation, drill, lockdown, lock-in, or other security-related plan
or emergency response, or to notify and elicit a response from security
personnel or law enforcement.

���� f.���� Nothing in this section
shall preclude an indictment and conviction for any other offense defined by
the laws of this State.

���� 4.��� a.�� All information
related to plans, locations, diagrams, procedures, drills, or other activity
that is part of an established school safety and security plan or other
security-related plan or emergency response intended to be used to ensure the
safety and security of a school shall not be made available to any individual
or institution except:

���� (1)�� Law enforcement
officials;

���� (2)�� School board members;

���� (3)�� Employees of the school
district or non-public school;
and

����
(4)
��
Any other person or entity otherwise provided
by law.

���� b.��� A person is guilty of a
crime of the fourth degree if he purposely or knowingly, without the express
written permission of the superintendent of schools of the school district or
the chief school administrator of the non-public school, or the chief law enforcement
officer of the municipality in which the school is located or, if the
municipality does not have a local police force, the Superintendent of State
Police:

���� (1)�� Films, records, or
otherwise documents procedures, drills, or activity that is part of an
established school safety and security plan, or other security-related plan or
emergency response; or

���� (2)�� Posts any information,
video, or procedures on the Internet, social media, or makes public any plans,
locations, diagrams, or procedures pursuant to an established school safety and
security plan, or other security-related plan or emergency response, intended
to be used to ensure the safety and security of the school.�

���� (3)�� This subsection shall
not apply to law enforcement activities associated with the operation of, or
planning or training for, school safety and security or emergency response.

���� (4)�� This subsection shall
not apply to news coverage of an emergency.�

���� c.���� The chief law
enforcement officer or Superintendent of State Police shall notify the
appropriate superintendent of schools of the school district or the chief
school administrator of the non-public school if written permission is granted.

���� d.��� Nothing in this section
shall preclude an indictment and conviction for any other offense defined by
the laws of this State.

���� 5.��� A person is guilty of a
crime of the fourth degree if he:

���� a.���� (1)�� Purposely or
knowingly stops, impedes, redirects, or otherwise interferes with an
established route, operation, or function of a school bus, van, or
transportation vehicle engaged in the transportation of children to or from
school or a school-sponsored event; or

���� (2)�� Knowing he is not
licensed or privileged to do so, enters an occupied school bus without the
consent of the school bus driver or authorized school representative.

���� b.��� This section shall not
apply to the actions of law enforcement or other established emergency road or
utility repair crews in response to emergency traffic conditions.

���� c.���� Nothing in this section
shall preclude an indictment and conviction for any other offense defined by
the laws of this State.

���� 6.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill, the �School Safety
and Security Act,� would establish penalties for certain criminal activity
related to school safety and security.

���� Under current law, certain
criminal acts committed on school property, or committed against a school
official or employee are penalized and in some cases are subject to enhanced
penalties. However, there is presently no provision in Title 2C, the Criminal
Code, which establishes penalties solely for criminal activity related to
school safety and security.� The bill would establish certain acts related to
school safety and security as crimes of the fourth degree.

���� Under subsection a. of section
3 of the bill, an actor would be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree if he
purposely or knowingly enters or remains on school property after having been
advised by written or verbal communication, a posting, or other reasonable
efforts have been made by the school district or non-public school or any other
authorized person to notify the actor that he is not licensed or privileged to
do so; or having entered school property, provides false information, name, or
identification to any authorized person requesting such information; or assists
another to enter school property by ignoring, circumventing, or bypassing any
direction, policy, or device specifically designed to identify, authorize or
otherwise screen visitors entering the school property after having been
advised by written or verbal communication, posting, or other reasonable
efforts to advise the actor of such direction, policy, or device; or assists
another to enter school property by defeating any security measure or device
specifically designed to prevent unauthorized access.�

���� A person would be guilty of a
crime of the fourth degree under subsection b. of section 3 of the bill if he
purposely or knowingly activates, uses, or tampers with any device utilized,
designed, or intended to announce or communicate a crime or emergency, or to
initiate a school safety and security plan, non-fire evacuation, lockdown,
lock-in, or other security-related response knowing that there is no such crime
or emergency and that it is likely to initiate a school safety and security
plan, a lockdown, lock-in, or other security-related plan or emergency
response.�

���� Under subsection c. of section
3 of the bill, a person would be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree if he
purposely or knowingly damages or tampers with any device, instrument, sign, or
system used to monitor or manage the security of a school.�

���� Under subsection d. of section
3 of the bill, a person would be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree if he
purposely or knowingly interferes with, obstructs, or impedes implementation of
an activated school safety and security plan or any security protocol, function
or drill, intended to provide an emergency response from the school district or
non-public school, employee, administrator, or any other authorized person, or
to notify and elicit a response from security personnel or law enforcement.

���� A person would be guilty of a
crime of the fourth degree under subsection e. of section 3 of the bill if,
with purpose to cause inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating
a risk thereof, he engages in criminal, alarming or threatening behavior; and
causes any school district or non-public school, employee, administrator, law
enforcement officer, or any other authorized person to initiate, activate,
communicate, or otherwise begin protocol pursuant to a school safety and
security plan, non-fire evacuation, drill, lockdown, lock-in, or other
security-related plan or emergency response, or to notify and elicit a response
from security personnel or law enforcement.

���� Pursuant to section 4 of the
bill, all information related to plans, locations, diagrams, procedures,
drills, or other activity that is part of an established school safety and
security plan or other security-related plan or emergency response intended to
be used to ensure the safety and security of a school would not be made
available to any individual or institution except law enforcement officials;
school board members; employees of the school district or non-public school;

and any other person or entity otherwise provided
by law.����������� A person would be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree if
he purposely or knowingly, without the express written permission of the
superintendent of schools of the school district or the chief school
administrator of the non-public school, or the chief law enforcement officer of
the municipality in which the school is located or, if the municipality does
not have a local police force, the Superintendent of State Police, films,
records, or otherwise documents procedures, drills, or activity that is part of
an established school safety and security plan, or other security-related plan
or emergency response; or posts any information, video, or procedures on the
Internet, social media, or makes public any plans, locations, diagrams, or
procedures pursuant to an established school safety and security plan, or other
security-related plan or emergency response, intended to be used to ensure the
safety and security of the school.� The chief law enforcement officer or
Superintendent of State Police would be required to notify the appropriate
superintendent of schools of the school district or the chief school
administrator of the non-public school if written permission is granted.� This
subsection would not apply to law enforcement activities associated with the
operation of, or planning or training for, school safety and security or
emergency responsiveness, or to news coverage of an emergency.

���� Under subsection a. of section
5 of the bill, a person would be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree if he
purposely or knowingly stops, impedes, redirects, or otherwise interferes with
an established route, operation, or function of a school bus, van, or
transportation vehicle engaged in the transportation of children to or from
school or a school-sponsored event.

���� Pursuant to subsection a. of
section 5 of the bill, a person who, knowing he is not licensed or privileged
to do so, enters an occupied school bus without the consent of the school bus
driver or authorized school representative would be guilty of a crime of the
fourth degree.� This section would not apply to the actions of law enforcement
or other established emergency road or utility repair crews in response to
emergency traffic conditions.

���� The bill provides that nothing
in the bill would preclude an indictment and conviction for any other offense
defined by the laws of this State.

���� For the purposes of the bill
"school district" would mean any local or regional school district
established pursuant to chapter 8 or chapter 13 of Title 18A of the New Jersey
Statutes.� �School safety and security plan� would mean the comprehensive
plans, procedures, and mechanisms developed by each school district that
provide for safety and security in the school district's public elementary and
secondary schools and which provide for, at a minimum, the protection of the
health, safety, security and welfare of the school population; the prevention
of, intervention in, response to and recovery from emergency and crisis
situations.

���� The bill would take effect
immediately.